Seed & Agronomy Leadership Team

Madison Fritz

Seed Agronomist, MT

Madison Fritz

Seed Agronomist, MT

Madison serves as the Seed Agronomist based in Montana. She is responsible for agronomic support of growers and ensures high-quality seed production for CGI in Montana. In her previous role, Madison was responsible for all sides of seed production including contracting, inspections, and harvest support. She attended Montana State University for Crop Science and is also a Certified Crop Advisor. If she’s not out in the field, she can be found on the ranch helping her husband with the cows.

Chet Wolery

Elevator Manager, Chester, MT

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Chet Wolery

Elevator Manager, Chester, MT

Chet Wolery grew up on a farm north of Turner, MT. He leased farms near Chester and Wagner, Montana, for almost 20 years before returning to Columbia Grain as manager of the Chester grain facility, where he has managed the seed facility for the past three years. Chet is passionate about helping farmers become more profitable in both seed and commercial wheat.

Cole LaValley

Agronomy Sales, Arvilla, ND

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Cole LaValley

Agronomy Sales, Arvilla, ND

Cole LaValley is an experienced agricultural products salesperson who leads the sales force in Columbia Grain’s Arvilla, North Dakota agronomy facility. Prior to joining CGI, he worked at Nutrien Ag Solutions where he developed expertise in crop protection and seed recommendations. Cole is dedicated to working closely with producers to bring more profitability to their operations.

Ross Bolek

Grain Buyer, Arvilla, ND

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Ross Bolek

Grain Buyer, Arvilla, ND

Ross Bolek has been working in grain purchasing and operations for over eight years. Ross joined CGI in 2022 and has helped expand CGI’s edible bean and pulse programs in Grafton and Ross, ND. Ross is dedicated to helping cultivate opportunities for growers in the Red River Valley by leveraging CGI’s extensive asset presence in the northern tier of the U.S. He assists in seed sales and procuring edible beans at CGI’s North Dakota locations.

Cody Michael

Plant Manager, Merrifield, ND

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Cody Michael

Plant Manager, Merrifield, ND

Cody Michael brings with him ten years of agriculture experience from multiple roles. He started with Columbia Grain in 2019 and has since worked up to location Manager of Merrifield, ND. Cody’s expertise in edible bean processing and local market knowledge make him an invaluable asset to the team. He enjoys cultivating relationships with the community by putting on and assisting in local appreciation dinners for growers and Easter events for kids.

Doug Sprehe

Edible Bean Origination & Agronomy, ND

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Doug Sprehe

Edible Bean Origination & Agronomy, ND

Doug Sprehe came to Columbia Grain with over 33 years of experience in seed R&D at two multi-national seed companies. His background brought strong attention to detail, long-term planning, and a passion for making farmers profitable. Doug retired from full-time work at CGI in 2022 but continues to assist with customer relations, seed selection, and any agronomy service needed to produce quality edible beans in eastern North Dakota.

Lane Hannas

General Manager, Lind & Pullman, WA

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Lane Hannas

General Manager, Lind & Pullman, WA

Lane graduated from WSU with a degree in Economics in 2016. He started his career in the industry immediately after graduation as a merchant in Lind, WA for Gavilon Grain. CGI acquired the Lind assets in 2019 and he continued to buy grain and sell seed to area farms. In 2021 Lane became the Location Manager of Lind, and in 2023 the General Manager of Lind and Pullman. His role is to promote our services to farmers across the Palouse and Adams county.

Stacey Lorentz

Manager, North Camas Prairie

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Stacey Lorentz

Manager, North Camas Prairie

Stacey Lorentz has amassed 35 years in the Pacific Northwest agriculture industry, seven as the manager of the North Camas Prairie for Columbia Grain. Stacey has held leadership roles across multiple facets of the agriculture industry, including time service manager at a large CNH dealership and sales and marketing director at a short-line equipment manufacturer. Stacey’s ability to forge strong relationships through communication and respect makes him an integral part of CGI’s commercial grain and seed business.

Brandon Rehder

Elevator Manager, Grangeville, ID

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Brandon Rehder

Elevator Manager, Grangeville, ID

Brandon Rehder has spent 13 years in the Ag industry, first in food processing before moving on as a Director of Sales and Marketing for an ag equipment manufacturer. He came to Columbia Grain in 2019 and is currently the location manager for the South Camas Prairie. Brandon has grown into a leader on the Camas Prairie in both the commercial grain and seed industries. Brandon is committed to building both the commercial grain and seed business for Columbia Grain and developing relationships with area producers to help optimize and grow their operations.

Cort Ruzicka

Grain Buyer, Lind, WA

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Cort Ruzicka

Grain Buyer, Lind, WA

Cort Ruzicka grew up in the Lind-Ritzville area and continued his education at Washington State University, where he received his degree in Agricultural Economics. Cort worked in two agricultural fields before returning to Lind to become a grain buyer at Columbia Grain. His diverse experiences in commodities and agronomy bring great value and knowledge to the team.

Mitchell Scott

Manager Trainee at Craigmont, ID

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Mitchell Scott

Manager Trainee at Craigmont, ID

Mitchell Scott has been in the Ag Industry for the last 10 years and the Manager Trainee of the North Camas Prairie for Columbia Grain since 2023. Prior to joining Columbia Grain, Mitchell was the Sales Director at a PNW Ag manufacturing company. Mitchell has a strong agronomic and technical background in Agriculture which led to a seamless transition into commercial grain and seed. Mitchell has also built strong relationships with producers across the PNW region. He believes the key to running a successful country elevator operation is going above and beyond for our valued producers during our peak busy seasons and being proactive with housekeeping and repair and maintenance of equipment.